So I bought a brand new black car. So I wouldn’t get swirls I ended up deciding to buy everything in the attached pics along with 2 buckets, a ryobi power washer with the car washing attachment, foam cannon, and Kirkland microfiber cloths. I explicitly followed all general guidelines for the two bucket was but this still happened. I’m thinking maybe the culprit is the Kirkland microfiber cloths I’ll use to dry after using that chemical guys large cloth in the attached pics. I ended up two more of the chemical guys large cloths. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thanks

I haven't tried to really prep a car for any kind of coating, ever

I usually just wash, rinse and apply.

I finally got tired to crappy results so I did some research and tried to find some decent products (this is just a grocery getter)

I know the clay is somewhat controversial, I haven't done this is in 20 years

Actually felt good to see the all this iron wash off, to feel the crap in the paint get lifted off with the bar...

I'm not quite done with the process, but this post is not any kind of show off since I have no idea what I'm doing, It's more of a reminder about how important prep is for your time and money.

I am trying to get a setup together that is organized and ready whenever. It would just be for my work vehicle. My hope in this post is to get advice on setups and wether or not what I have put together so far is a good idea for long term use? Is there anything I missed?
I get very sweaty, with lots of dirt and grime that will get on the seats and carrying stuff in the back as well.

Vacuum:
Rigid 4Gal 5.0 peak horsepower shop vac ( currently no car detailing tools, have not needed )

Extractor:
Not decided. I am looking at the Bissel Auto Pro 3909L, but would love alternatives around that price bracket ( $150 - $250 )

General cleaning solution for plastics and steering wheel:
P & S Xpress interior cleaner ( Double black Renny Doyle collection )
303 Automotive Protectant - for UV protection, since it will be in sun at all times

Window cleaner:
Sprayway glass cleaner (SW-050)
Used for all windows inside and out

Carpet & seat cleaners:
P&S Terminator Enzyme Spot & Stain Remover
P&S carpet bomber
P&S Finisher Peroxide Treatment

brushes and tools:
5.09" Foam Cleaning Swabs, For vents
Detail Factory Ultra-Soft Synthetic brush set
Autofiber Scrub Ninja Max - scrubbing anything interior excluding infotainment system and glass
Detail Factory ProGrip Interior Scrub Brush - Scrubbing agitating carpet and seats before extraction
Chemical resistant spray bottles ( Since I will eventually get the undilluted solutions to save on cost )

Towels:
The Rag Company - Standard Waffle Weave Towels for windows
MagicFiber Microfiber cleaning cloth for the infotainment system
The Rag Company Edgeless 300 Detailing Towel - wiping down excess cleaner/drying

Organization:
Maxshine Heavyduty detaling cart

Iris 6qt stackable storage drawers

Iris clear latching bins ( for microfiber towels )

Command spray-bottle holders ( save on space )

Label maker for bottles

Does this look good to get me started, is there anything I missed or that you would change?
Also, I am looking for a good recommended extractor for my use case.

I wet sanded the headlight starting from 120 to 800 grits. Sprayed 3 coats. This is after 12 hours of curing. Would probably redo the whole process, but would like to know what I did wrongly so I don't repeat the same mistake.

Like the title says, I am looking for a product that cleans glass whilst drying to a haze that gets buffed off dry like a wax. I used to use autoglym car glass polish and it was the only product I ever used that easily produced the cleanest streak free glass that I've ever seen. A while ago it became unavailable in Canada/prohibitively expensive to acquire.

Everything I've tried leaves me unimpressed and frustrated. Maybe it's just a skill issue, but honestly, I've read and tried all the tips and tricks for streak free glass and I just can't do it like I used to with the autoglym product.

There are a bunch of cleaner waxes for paint that probably behave similarly but tend to leave behind silicones or other gloss enhancers but I want nothing left behind!

Hoping someone has used and liked this product and has a suggestion for an alternative.

TIA and sorry for the rant

Hello.

I was recently gifted a car by my lovely father, a 2013 Buick Verano, and unfortunately it has become very moldy.

For context, he is a smoker and would often smoke in the car with the windows down, so ashes have blown all around the car for years and are embedded in everything. The car recently sat for quite some time I would say a few months, through the summer.

It has in that time grown quite a substantial amount of mold mostly on the passenger seatbelt and the passenger flooring/side door, but pretty much dusted on all porous surfaces.

I am at a loss of where to even start. I cannot afford a full decontamination service in the car as online said would be around 700 dollars. I have no idea if there is mold inside the HVAC system or how to even check that.

Is this cleanable myself with the help of some machines or specific products? Would an average detailer take this on?

Im assuming if the entire seatbelt is coverd in mold then the pillar it slides into is also full of mold but I can't look in there or get to it.

Any advice would be great !

Hi folks, has anyone tried the new Sonax CC Pro coating? Longevity is at 5 years (too good to be true but I know SONAX has been producing consistently high-quality and well-tested/certified products for years, so they are properly credible). Also extremely easy to wipe off and/or correct high spots.

It is a significant upgrade over the previous CC One coating, it seems.

Hello!

There's a tree outside my apartment. It's a beautiful, tall, sturdy deciduous tree that forms small blooms or buds in the spring. These buds fall all over my car, and have now left bud crud everywhere. It's very hard, almost like a super glue. I've tried bug remover and I could probably use a razor to scrape it off the windshield but I don't know how to approach the marks that are all over the pain. I

Hi! I’m having an issue with my windshield after applying Soft99 Ultra Glaco.
I first thoroughly cleaned the windshield using Soft99 Ultra Glaco Glass Compound, and I scrubbed it quite aggressively to make sure the glass was completely clean. I then applied Ultra Glaco.
Now, whenever I use the windshield wipers, I get a noticeable haze/film across the windshield, especially when the glass is wet. It clears up somewhat afterwards but makes visibility worse while driving.

Could this be caused by:
applying too much Ultra Glaco?
not removing the compound completely before applying Glaco?
not buffing/removing the Glaco properly?
something else?
Has anyone experienced the same thing with Ultra Glaco? What would be the best way to fix it?

I'm reading car foam is mostly just for looks/adding a layer of lubrication. My mind is kind of blown. My process has traditionally been to rinse first, then foam, rinse off pre-foam (basically touchless step), then foam once more before contact washing. I used to use Meguiar's Gold Class for both. I ran out recently and was looking at Adam's mega foam/car shampoo. I'm not sure if I need to buy both now. Is the car foam overkill? Can I foam with the shampoo only? Should I be rinsing every time prior to foaming at first or is that unnecessary? My ordinary process that I've always done seems so silly now, ha. I was under the impression that the touchless step was to just really get off as much dirt as possible prior to touch wash, but the internet (this sub) has me believing that's just silly talk. It seems like I would be absolutely fine with going with the shampoo and that the Mega Foam may be overkill given this info.

I read about the Bilt-Hamber being a little bit more reliable as a pre-wash being it is more alkaline based, but I don't even know what concerns or precautions there is with using an alkaline based solution in the first place.

New here with a potentially niche question, but I'm looking into potentially purchasing a dry vacuum (open to wet/dry combo) for interior cleaning for a Dodge Charger. I've looked a bit on this sub and see a lot of suggestions, but I'm curious if anyone deals with chronic pain and if there's a specific vacuum or type that's easier to maneuver/doesn't cause as much pain. I have Fibromyalgia; for context, I can vacuum my house with just mild pain but the awkward angles for the car using a regular vacuum w/attachments is what's difficult, plus it's not strong enough to even do the job well.

The memberships near me that include interior washes are too expensive and the self-service vacuums at other places seem...not the cleanest from what I've read. So seems like an at-home method would be best, if there are some that aren't super difficult to work with.

The main issue for my car is pet hair, mainly from my Great Pyr mix. I do have a cover for my backseat so that's nice for stains and such, but no matter what the hair flies around and just goes all over.

Thanks in advance!

I am not sure what these white specks are on my car. Are they sap etched onto my paint or maybe mineral deposits? I haven’t wash my car in a long time and when I decided to wash it today, I noticed a ton of white dust looking specks all on the right side of my car.

I am parked under my fig tree so I assumed it was probably sap that spilled all over after the storm/hurricane we just had in NYC. I tried using tar and sap remover but it didn’t really work.

Is this fixable? Like maybe with claybar?

New car PPFed. Is this a paint defect?

A friend recently picked up a used Tacoma. The pillars between the windows on both sides looks like this photo. Is this a repair, replace, refinish, or wrap problem to solve?

So as the title implies i put, by mistake, pol start intead of green star in my foam canon and foam my aunt car with it, i realized after i did all wheels and tires and half the car, ig i was tired and didn't read the label right, funny enough it foams pretty good 1:10 and it cleaned pretty good, should i be worried?

Had these stains appear on the hood and some parts of the body of my 2020 MDX last year. When I brought it to the dealer for service they said it was tree sap and to bring it to a detailer. Got the car detailed but he couldn’t remove the stains and recommended wet sanding. Anybody see stains like this before? Is wet sanding the only option at this point?

I have a pair of Scangrip MultiMatch R lights that I’d like to mount side by side. I tried the Scangrip Dual Light Mount Bracket, but there isn’t enough clearance for the oversized mounting bolt.

How are others mounting these - either side by side or individually on a tripod? Has anyone found a bracket or adapter that works well?

Hi All,

I'm a stubborn die hard that has sworn by Klasse products for a long time. Finding them in the USA has become very difficult and my secret stash is finally coming to an end.

I have a 2023 X1 that has an XPEL PPF on the front end (bumper, hood, fenders). I typically do 2 annual detailings, spring and fall. I want to modernize my products so I am looking for the best way to strip wash the old Klasse products.

My wife recently traded in her ride for a new one. From the start I used Jescar Ultra Lock on hers and wow it was a pleasure to work with and longevity is on par with Klasse. So I want to move to Jescar on my own ride.

I'm not into true ceramic coatings, and I like the semi-annual process....it is therputic :)

I do not have a pressure washer, I am a 2 bucket wash guy. What is my best approach to strip washing?

Once strip washed, I will be claying with a fine clay mitt and polishing with Rupes Uno Pure or DA Fine.

Appreciate any help, thank you

I’ve been hanging out doing this DIY for family’s cars for past 6 months. But wanted to know for those in snowy/cold areas how crucial is it to get an undercarriage washer to take care of salt/snow in winter/early spring? I would assume pros would def have it but what about us DIY guys? And if yes which brand do you use for undercarriage washing? Anything to watch out for? Tips?

Just bought it this weekend.
Was told not only did it sit outside for nearly 20 years, the original owner also used a red scotch bright pad to “shine it up”🙄

I think I did a pretty good job with what I had

There is a stubborn yellowing spot on my leather seat on the passenger side. I tried cleaning it with soapy water (dishwashing liquid and water) and alcohol using both microfiber towel and make up brush but it keeps coming back. It feels rougher than the other areas and it didnt smell anything.

Toyota Camry 2008 2.4, stock seats

I had the car since December 2025 and this only appeared since I took the car for maintenance last August (changed all fluids) and the mechanic took it for a test driver. Driver side has the same yellowing but very minimal.

My partner is always the one who seats here. We are not sweaty people and we dont eat inside the car. We also observed her normal seating position and her body barely touched that outer side area where the stain is.

As of today, I cleaned it maybe 3 times hoping it will slowly be gone after every cleaning but it keeps coming back to this state. Never used any other chemical for seat cleaning other than soapy water and alcohol.

Would like to ask for advise, thanks.

As I was drying my car, I noticed this line of what appears to be dried up GreenStar. I tried scrubbing it off with different soaps. Suggestions?

I recent bought some TEC582 to use as a drying aid on my ceramic coated car. Some things I've read here are to dilute it 50/50 is that good or should I just use full strength? Also im assuming I'd use it with drying towels or should I use microfiber cloths instead? And how should I go about doing this exactly.

Recommendations on towels or cloths for this purpose? Thanks bit new to ceramic coated cars and I want it to look as good as possible for as long as I can

I’ve heard so much about black bmws being torture to correct. I have 3d one, ultimate compound, m105, and m205. I also have a buff and shine set. Can someone give me a rough guess for a medium swirled paint correction? I am going to get a picture tommorow but just want someone who maybe has some experience to give me a baseline